100 Days: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

If you are paying attention to the political process at all, you are probably aware that there are now less than 100 days to go until the elections of 2008 will be over. Candidates and voters alike will both probably say "Thank Goodness" to this news. Most voters are just now beginning to pay serious attention to local races. Absentee ballots have now been mailed for the primary to be held on August 26. Samples of these ballots may be found at the various Supervisor of Elections websites.

I began my campaign last October, almost 300 days ago. Experienced people, like County Commissioner Paul Mercier, warned me that a political race is a marathon, not a sprint. I have kept up a steady pace of appearances, speeches and events, and I think I have enough energy to make it to the finish line. Last week I attended the candidates reception put on by the Young Professionals Group of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, the Connexion Latina networking at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, "Pizza and Politics" at Primo grill on Friday night, and the quarterly meeting of the Nokomis Area Civic Association. My favorite event, however, was the celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act put on at the Suncoast Center for Independent Living. Several hundred people with all types of abilities turned out on a rainy Friday afternoon. I met many people who had inspiring stories to share with me and I left the Center really feeling like I had learned something important. Events like these are the best part of campaigning.

The worst part of campaigning are negative attacks and misleading claims. Unfortunately, political consultants continue to encourage candidates to engage in these tactics. Recently,m the Pelican Press asked all candidates to pledge to not engage in negative behaviors. The University of South Florida's Institute on Public Policy had candidates sign a similar pledge during a candidate college a few months ago. When I was President of the Sarasota County Civic League, we championed good government and clean campaigns. But really, it comes down to the voter. If you receive a negative "robo-call," or receive an e-mail that makes outrageous claims, it is up to you to reject these tactics. Only when we show them that negative campaigns will not work, will we help put an end to these practices.

Candidate Mixers

Five weeks from today, primary elections will be held throughout the 12th Judicial Circuit. In Sarasota, Republican voters will make decisions in hotly contested races for Property Appraiser, Sheriff, and Florida State Senate. In Manatee, the Republicans will elect some new county commissioners. Democrats in DeSoto will vote in Sheriff and County Commissioner elections. Republicans throughout the circuit will decide their nominee for Public Defender who will face me in November. And all voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote for a new Circuit Court Judge to replace the retiring Durand Adams. Fortunately we have two good candidates for that position with Connie Medros-Jacobs and Gilbert Smith, Jr. facing one another. Monday, July 28 is the last day to register to vote in this primary. Early voting begins at the Supervisor Elections Offices on August 11, or you can call and request a vote by mail absentee ballot if you prefer.

Between now and primary day there will be a lot of opportunities to meet the candidates at "mixers," informal events that are light on speech-making and heavy on one to one interaction. In the picture above I was captured with incumbent property appraiser Jim Todora and his wife Estelle while attending the South County Tiger Bay event at the Venice Yacht Club. This Wednesday, July 23, I will be at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Group event which will be held at the Lakewood Ranch country club. On Tuesday, August 5, the North Port Chamber of Commerce will host a candidate's mixer at the Olde World Restaraunt from 6-8 p.m. The Sarasota League of Women Voters is hosting a candidate fair on Thursday, August 7 at the Gulf Gate Library beginning at 6:30. The Democratic Party of DeSoto County is serving hot dogs and politics at the fairgrounds on Saturday, August 9 at 10 a.m. All of these events are free of charge so come on out and let us know what is on your mind.

The Business of Endorsements

Now is the time when candidates are interviewed for purpose of endorsements. Last week I had to complete a complex questionaire from the Sarasota Herald Tribune, and I was happy to have the opportunity. Unfortunately, many of the groups that do endorsements are not interested in the Public Defender election. I spend a lot of time going to business networking events. These are usually conducted in a relaxed atmosphere where there is time for conversations, not just introductions. Many people have concerns about our local criminal justice system and I think it makes me a better candidate to hear these questions. But while the organized business groups are interested in those running for county commission or state legislature, the Office of Public Defender is not on their radar.

One exception is the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts. This is the largest and most influential union in Sarasota County and I was privileged to be invited to meet their members when their convention met at the Hyatt last weekend. Whenever I go to an event and I see that union member Roy Sorenson is there setting up the sound system, I know that everything is going to work properly. I am proud to be endorsed by the West Central Florida Federation of Labor and all of their members. I am also proud to have the endorsement of Representative Keith Fitzgerald (pictured above) who has truly distinguished himself in the Florida House of Representatives during his first term. Representative Fitzgerald has represented the interests of our area and of the entire state of Florida in a positive manner by emphasizing problem solving, not partisanship. I hope you get the opportunity to meet him or hear him speak during this campaign.

I am also trying to pay attention to the neighborhoods during this campaign. Nobody wants to feel insecure where they live, and street crime continues to plague some of our poorest neighborhoods. On the other hand, we must ensure that all people are treated equally under the law. The Office of the Public Defender can help maintain the delicate balance between citizens and law enforcement. We must be responsive to our clients and their families, we must investigate cases properly, and we must litigate matters in Court when necessary. When neighbors come together in the community they can combat crime and maintain positive relationships with law enforcement, while supporting those who need a second chance. As your Public Defender, I will be there with you when you need me, providing straight forward answers to your questions, and working to provide leadership in our criminal justice system.

A Three County Fourth

With parades, picnics and politicians, the four day long Fourth of July celebration kept us moving. Festivities began on Thursday evening with the boat parade down Main Street in Sarasota. A light rain let up enough that by 7:00 p.m. the sidewalks were filled with families. This is a somewhat unusual parade, made up primarily of decorated tractor trailers and large offshore racing boats and their crew. Sarasota has hosted these boats for many years now and it seems as popular as ever. I walked the parade route, handed out some literature, shook a few hands, and was a walking billboard in my red and white tee-shirt.

The parade we really prepared for was the next morning in Arcadia in connection with the annual Independence day rodeo. The main road through downtown is Oak Street and it is lined with antique stores, restaurants and churches. It seems like the whole town turns out for the parade, either to participate or to spectate. We borrowed a cute red PT Cruiser convertible from our friend Carol Williams. One of Regina's ideas was to fill the back-seat with balloons, to almost make it appear as if I were emerging from a red, white and blue bubble bath. The crowd along the parade route seemed to get a kick out of this and we all waved at one another enthusiastically.

The day was just beginning, however, as we then headed to North Port. We missed the parade there but went to Dallas White park where some picnics were in progress. After grabbing a snow cone and a hot dog, we traveled to Sarasota, dropped off the convertible, and went home for a quick nap. Then it was of to Bradenton for a part at the west end of Manatee avenue with a lot of the volunteers from WSLR community radio. The only fireworks we got to see were in the night sky as we finally headed home.

The final big event of the weekend for me was pizza and politics put on by the Parrish Civic Association. The Florida Railroad Museum allowed a flat-car to be used as a staging area and a large tent was set up in front. A couple of hundred people turned out to hear a debate among the Manatee County commission candidates. Though I wasn't allowed to speak, I did get to greet the audience as they entered, and then passed out my pamphlets and discussed the Public Defender's office at each table. Forums like this are really encouraging as there seems to be more interest in politics, both local and national, then I have seen in some time. No parades for me this week but I do have stops scheduled in Lakewood Ranch, Venice and Bradenton. Let me know what else is going on this month and I will try and join you there.

Manatee United

Regina went on vacation without me last week as there were too many exciting events in the area to miss. I toured a diamond mine in Sarasota, courtesy of Gemesis. This is a company that grows diamonds in a warehouse as opposed to extracting them from the ground. I made it to North Port by 7:00 a.m. Wednesday morning to address the early bird Kiwanis meeting at the Family Table restaurant. The Sarasota area Realtors kicked off their "surge of support" for veterans with a nice program about Haley Hospital and the Haley House for families located in Tampa. And the Venice area Chamber of Commerce hosted an excellent networking event at the Ashton Gardens Senior living center.

The best parts of my week were spent in Manatee County. We had a joint candidate appearance in front of the Bar Association where I was well received. The newly formed Lakewood Ranch Democratic Club hosted a picnic on Saturday in Adventure Park. Approximately two hundred people showed up to enthusiastically kick off the campaign. A club like this is very important to a candidate, particularly in a community like Lakewood Ranch that does not allow door to door campaigning or even yard signs. There were also a half dozen or more house parties held in the area to support Senator Obama's campaign. I went to Cortez where 25-30 people gathered to share snacks and stories about what attracted them to the Obama candidacy. To be honest, I have never before seen such excitement and enthusiasm connected with the political process. I am hopeful that the momentum will carry us all into November as citizens unite to retake and reform government.

The 4th of July is a big day for campaigning. Regina and I will begin the day in the Arcadia Rodeo parade, then make our way to Dallas White Park in North Port, head up to Bradenton for a party on the Manatee River, and close the evening with fireworks in Sarasota. Come say hello if you see us out and about.